


Losing Control

by terma_archivist



Category: Once a Thief (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 1999-06-14
Updated: 1999-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:28:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26535115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/terma_archivist/pseuds/terma_archivist
Summary: First time story that started out as a response to Krysa's Drunk Challenge and took a left turn. ;-)
Relationships: Victor Mansfield/Mac Ramsey
Collections: TER/MA





	Losing Control

**Author's Note:**

> Note from alicettlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [TER/MA](https://fanlore.org/wiki/TER/MA) and was moved to the AO3 as part of the Open Doors project in 2019. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are the creator and would like to claim this work, please contact me using the e-mail address on [the TER/MA collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/terma/profile).  
> Fandom: Once a Thief Rating: NC-17 Date: June 14, 1999 Spoilers: Why bother at this point? Disclaimer: All things OaT belong to John Woo or Alliance or somebody. I borrow the characters for a cheap thrill, but no profit. I figure the camp song is public domain, but if not, I'm really sorry. On second thought, I'm really sorry anyway. Notes: I have a lot of people to thank on this one: As always, my lovely betas Nicole and Mouse, who did an outstanding job (so don't blame them for any mistakes I may have missed ;). Deb, nancy, and the goddess-who-shall-remain-nameless were also invaluable partners-in-crime. Ori, consider this bribery for HC 4, okay?

  
**Losing Control  
by Amy B**

  
"Fuck me," panted Victor into Mac's ear, hands tugging at his belt. "Fuck me hard." 

"What— no! Vic, you're drunk." Squirming back against the wall, Mac caught Victor's roaming hands and tried to push the other man away. 

"Yeah, ain't it great?" Victor pulled one hand free and stroked the crotch of Mac's suddenly-too-tight pants. "You're hard, Mac. Fuck me." 

Mac grabbed the tormenting hand and tried to reason with his in-the-bag partner. "Look, you're drunk, okay? You don't know what you're saying here, Vic. Now calm down and keep your hands to yourself while I try to get you home in one piece." 

"You're right and wrong, Mac. I am intoxee... intoxa... intoximicated... drunk. But I do know what I'm saying. I'm asking you to fuck me. So what's the fucking problem here?" 

"There you go. _Fucking_ would be the problem," Mac said under his breath, but he didn't think Victor had heard him. 

That sneaky hand eased back down to Mac's erection drawing a moan from the frustrated younger man. Victor smiled and breathed a cloud of Jack Daniel's scented breath against Mac's neck. "You have the right stuff so what's stopping you? Fuck me through this wall." 

"Victor, get a hold of yourself. We—" 

"I'd rather get a hold of you." 

"—are in a dirty back alley in a very bad part of town," continued Mac; ignoring the interruption even though it sent a zing of pleasure straight to his cock, which already had a mind of its own when Victor was around. He had to get his partner home before something happened that couldn't be taken back. If Mac gave in to his attraction while Vic was in this state, the uptight ex-cop would never forgive him. 

"Listen Victor, despite what you may think of me, I do not take advantage of people who are drugged, drunk, or mentally challenged. And right now, I think you qualify as all three. I've never seen you get this incapacitated on just a couple of drinks, and you've never shown any interest in me or—" His throat closed up so he cleared it roughly and soldiered on, "—or being... fucked...by _anyone_." 

"Not just anyone, _you_. Mac Ramsey, former thief and current spy and sex on two very long legs." Victor nuzzled Mac's throat with each word, and Mac was sure he was going to come in his pants right then and there. The man obviously had no idea what effect that low sexy voice could have on a person. Or maybe he did, Mac thought as he frantically tried to peel all twelve of Victor's hands from his body. 

"Victor, get your tongue out of my ear, so I can take you home and put you in your own bed." 

Vic's head popped up and he asked brightly, "Then you'll fuck me?" 

"Let's talk about it when we get there, okay?" With much maneuvering, Mac propped Victor up against the nasty brick wall that he himself had just been pressed against. He made a mental note to send Vic the bill for his dry cleaning; then fastened all the buttons that Victor had undone. When he was sure they were both presentable, he tucked his hand in the small of Victor's back and steered him the three blocks to where his car was parked. 

Settling Victor in the passenger seat was quite an adventure, since Mac had to dodge kisses to get the seat belt buckled. The older man finally nailed him square on the lips, thrusting his tongue past Mac's teeth just as the buckle snapped in place with a snick barely audible over the faint moans coming from both men. Mac kissed back for a minute or two before remembering where they were and pulling away. 

Withdrawing quickly, Mac slammed the door and stood there a moment, drawing in deep draughts of cool night air. When his traitorous body was finally under some semblance of control, he walked around the car and slid into the driver's seat. Twenty minutes, four gropes, fifteen curse words, and a near collision later, they pulled up in front of Victor's building. 

Mac got out and went around to open Victor's door, pausing to take a deep breath. Wishing for the strength to get through the next several minutes, he opened the door just in time to hear Victor burst out singing. The tune was one Mac vaguely recognized, but couldn't put a name to because he was too surprised that Victor could sing so well. And the words had him shaking his head and fighting back a laugh. 

" _Be kind to your web footed friends/ For a duck may be somebody's mother/ Be kind to your friends in the swamp/ When the weather is very, very damp_ " 

"That doesn't rhyme, you know," Mac pointed out as he unhooked the safety belt. 

"I didn't write it," replied Victor before finishing the song loudly in Mac's ear. " _And you may think that this is the end. Well, it is._ " Then the older man kissed Mac noisily on the cheek and allowed himself to be pulled out of the low slung sports car. 

Mac staggered a couple of steps as Victor slung his arm around Mac's shoulder and made him take most of his weight. "Vic, I'm not going to _carry_ you upstairs, so help me out here." 

Victor grinned drunkenly and said, "I want to kiss you. You look so...kissable, with those pouty lips just begging to be nibbled. I'm gonna kiss you, so hold still." Closing his eyes and parting his lips, he leaned forward, but Mac turned his face away just in time so that Victor's lips landed on his cheek. 

Mac swallowed a moan and demanded, "Are you completely unhinged? We're on the street outside your apartment building. What would the neighbors think?" 

"That Mansfield guy finally got lucky?" 

Mac shook his head and gave up trying to reason with a man who was clearly unreasonable. He half-led, half-carried Victor into the building, and then propped him against the wall of the elevator. Taking out his cell phone and hitting a speed dial number, Mac quickly explained the situation to the person on the other end of the line and agreed to wait until the doctor got there. 

Getting the keys out of Victor's pants pocket to unlock the door turned into a wrestling match, as Victor twisted and turned trying to get Mac's hand around more than the keys. Mac finally gave up and just picked the lock, dragging Victor inside and dumping him on the couch. 

"Hey Mac, how about now?" Victor crooned with a loony grin, reaching for the younger man's leg. 

Mac stepped back and sighed, "Victor, give it a rest. You don't know what you're talking about. I think you were drugged, and all I can say is it's a good thing the mission was finished before you had that drink. The Director would—" 

"Flirt with you," Victor drowsily interrupted. "That's what the Director would do. That's all she ever does. But she doesn't really mean it...not like I do..." 

After Victor passed out, Mac closed his eyes and sighed again. It was bad enough that he'd been giving Victor the eye lately, even though he still wasn't sure how he could actually like the irritating guy. Now Victor was offering to fulfill most of his fantasies and giving him material for a month's worth of wet dreams, which would have been just fine with Mac except for the small problem of sobriety. Victor had obviously been drugged, and maybe the drug had aphrodisiac properties; making Vic come on to anyone who happened to be there. Mac tried not to take Vic's attraction personally, but it was awfully difficult when he wanted so much for it to be true. 

Making himself comfortable in a nearby chair to wait for the Agency doctor, Mac took the opportunity to study his partner. He was sprawled in an ungainly pose that Mac had only seen Victor relax into when he was really tired at the end of a particularly long day or after a rough mission. All the subtle tension that held him together during the day had drained away, leaving his face smooth and his mouth soft. Mac licked his lips and thought back to those few kisses that he hadn't been able to escape. Even half-lit, Victor Mansfield could _kiss_. His cock twitched as Mac thought how easy it would be to kneel between Victor's wide spread knees, stretch along his torso, and slip his tongue past those glistening parted lips. Victor would never know if Mac sifted his fingers through that dark hair. Hair that looked like it would be so smooth and silky. He'd never know if Mac touched his— 

A brisk knock on the door jolted Mac out of his musings, and he was dismayed to discover he'd grown hard and achy. He buttoned his jacket and tried to get himself under control on the brief walk to the door. He let in the doctor, who was accompanied by the Director. The doctor ignored him in favor of her patient, who didn't show any signs of waking up; but the other woman gave him a smirking once over. 

Reaching into his coat pocket, Mac pulled out the glass that Victor had drunk from in the bar. As soon as Victor had started to seem more affected by the alcohol than he should have been, Mac had snagged the glass and wrapped it in his handkerchief, just in case evidence was needed. He handed it over to the Director and explained what had happened... _most_ of what had happened. He mentioned that Victor showed signs of arousal and mentioned his aphrodisiac theory, without going into any detail or making eye contact with the Director. He directed his comments to the back of the doctor's head as she examined Victor, and answered her questions as concisely as possible. His arousal faded quickly in the Director's presence, but a faint feeling of shame took its place. He hadn't actually touched Victor without his knowledge and consent, so there was no reason for him to feel as if he'd done something wrong. He'd handled himself as appropriately as he could under the circumstances, and his body's reaction was just... automatic and chemical, a biological response to stimuli. Unless the Director caught on and teased him in front of everybody at the Agency tomorrow morning, he had nothing to be ashamed of, but the feeling remained just the same. 

After a quick consultation with the doctor, the Director turned to Mac and told him he was free to go home. 

"What about Vic? Is he gonna be okay?" He could quite keep the worry out of his voice. 

"It seems likely. Dr. Curtis will take care of him. In a few days he'll be back at work, and you boys can go back to tormenting each other." The Director gave Mac a speculative smile and tilted her head slightly, murmuring; "one way or another." 

Mac started to reply, but realized he didn't know what to say, so he nodded and left the apartment. As he drove home, he found himself humming the duck song. 

* * *

On Friday night, Victor slid onto a barstool and looked around at the crowd. The gay bar on the opposite side of town from his usual hangouts wasn't busy, but it was still early. He'd been off work for three days and was going out of his mind, so he'd gotten dressed in his favorite black shirt and jeans and come here. His first impulse had been to go to the bar where his colleagues from the Agency tended to congregate, but he really didn't want to see them yet. He'd be back at work on Monday; and that was soon enough. He still had no clear recollection of what had happened Tuesday night, but the thought of seeing Mac made him unaccountably nervous. 

He'd been attracted to the younger man for a long time, even when he resented him for his past relationship with Li Ann. While being in his company was often uncomfortable, Victor had never _dreaded_ being around him. The feeling was a puzzle that he intended to solve eventually, but right now he was just happy to be out of his apartment. 

Making small talk with the bartender relaxed him a little. The guy sitting next to him kept giving him little glances and finally worked up the nerve to introduce himself. 

"Hi, I'm Lucas. I've seen you in here before, haven't I?" Bright blue eyes smiled at Victor, and he felt nothing. The man was nice looking in a safe, comfortable way. He didn't have pouty lips and a wicked grin. He didn't have deep brown eyes in which a person could get trapped and never want to escape. He wasn't tall enough or dressed well enough. In short, he was not Mac, but Victor figured it wouldn't hurt to talk to him for a minute. After all, he'd come here for a distraction. 

"Yeah, I've been in a few times. My name's Victor." Tossing back some popcorn, Victor nudged the bowl toward Lucas in a wordless offering. So for the next several minutes, they ate popcorn and talked about the Leafs' draft picks and whether the coming season would be better or worse than the last one. They had drifted into a discussion of the relative merits of different members of the Blue Jays bullpen when Victor felt someone sit down on the stool on the other side of him. Just as a hand landed on his back, he glanced over his shoulder and fell into those dark eyes he'd been mooning over so recently. 

"Victor, I sure hope that's ginger ale in that glass." 

The sound of that low, amused voice so close to his ear sent a shiver through Victor's insides. The temperature of the room suddenly seemed to jump about thirty degrees. His voice cracked just a little as he replied, "It is. Mac—" He cleared his throat and tried again, "What are you doing here?" 

"You weren't at home, so I came looking for you." Mac gave him a searching look, as if trying to see down to his very bones. 

"How did you find me?" The real question on Victor's mind was 'Why would you look for me in a _gay_ bar?' But he didn't ask it. Getting over his surprise at Mac's sudden appearance just brought that uneasy feeling back to the surface, making him want to be far away, but unsure why. 

"I'm _good_ ," whispered Mac with a teasing glint in his eyes, and Victor felt a wave of pure lust roll right over him. He had no doubt of Mac's skill. If only the younger man wasn't so straight and such a skirt-chaser, maybe he'd have had a chance to find out just _how_ good some day. 

Signaling to the bartender for a drink, Mac snagged the popcorn and looked to be settling in for awhile. Victor looked over at Lucas to say something... to pick up the conversation, but he had no idea what they'd been talking about, so he just stared at him for a moment. 

The other man nodded toward Mac with a disappointed expression and said, "Well, it was nice talking to you anyway." And then he moved off down the bar to strike up a conversation with an older man in an expensive suit. Victor shrugged his shoulders, and looked into his glass as if he might find the answers to all the mysteries of the universe. Hell, he'd be happy with just one answer. 

"Did you hear? The report came back on the drug you were slipped on Tuesday." Mac took a sip of his club soda and went on, "Apparently, it had some new chemical that dramatically lowers inhibitions when mixed with alcohol. Not an aphrodisiac as I had originally thought." 

"Aph—aphrodisiac? Why would you think..." Once again, Victor frantically searched his memory for any inkling of what happened that night. All he knew was that Mac had gotten him home and called the doctor and the Director. He suppressed a shudder and decided not to think about it right now. "Aphrodisiac? You're just fucking with me... aren't you?" 

"Interesting choice of words, Vic. Actually, I had to do everything I could to keep my virtue intact." 

"What virtue?" Victor snorted, but he had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. His avoidance of Mac was starting to make sense now. He really didn't want to ask, but he had to. "Okay, so what happened? What did I do?" 

"Oh, Vic, you were very entertaining." Mac flashed his smarmy grin, the one that made Victor want to either kiss the breath out of him or kill him slowly. "First, you tried to put your hand down my pants inside a crowded nightclub, then when I dragged you outside, you asked me to fuck you—right there in the alley." 

Victor groaned and dropped his head into his hands. "No, no, tell me I didn't." 

"Yes, you did—in those very terms. In between trying to kiss me and trying to undress me, you begged me to fuck you." 

"You're really having fun with this, aren't you?" 

"Well...yeah." 

"You probably laughed your ass off while I was completely out of my mind, didn't you?" 

"No." Mac looked at him seriously for once and said slowly, "It wasn't funny then because I knew that you didn't know what you were doing. I knew it wasn't something you really wanted." 

Victor dropped his hands back to the bar, looked up, and muttered, "I was drugged." 

Mac nodded and then grinned again. "Okay, it _was_ pretty funny when you sang the duck song." 

"What—no, please don't tell me. I don't think I want to know right now." Victor scooted his glass around in circles on top of the bar, took a sip of the ginger ale that was already going flat, then went back to making circles. Deciding what to say next was just the first step, now he had to actually speak the words. He took a deep breath and kept his eyes firmly on the glass between his hands as he said, "So what do you think? You never liked me anyway, and I guess this really doesn't help matters much." 

"What, that you like to go to gay bars or that you asked me to fuck you? Neither one _bothers_ me. This place is nice enough, although it could use some decent music. Truthfully, I was flattered that you would want to have sex with me." Then as if he realized how that had sounded, Mac hurriedly said, "I mean, I know you were _drugged_ so it's not what you really wanted, but I—" 

"I did." Victor said quietly, then squeezed his eyes shut in anticipation of his partner's scorn. 

"What was that?" Instead of scornful, Mac sounded stunned. 

Victor was glad the other man was off balance, because he felt himself spinning out of control without ever leaving the barstool. "I did. I do. I have... wanted you... for awhile." 

"Wanted...how?" 

Victor stared at him for a moment as irritation built to an unbearable level, then finally blurted out, much louder than he'd intended, "What do you think, you moron? I wanted to have sex with you!" 

In the hush that descended, the entire population of the bar turned to look at Victor, some with sympathy in their eyes and some with big grins. A blush set his face on fire and he took a quick gulp of his watery drink to cover his embarrassment. 

"Oh, that," Mac replied nonchalantly. 

"Yeah." Victor rubbed a hand over one of his burning cheeks and sighed. "Look, Mac, I don't expect... I mean I know you're straight—Li Ann, Kathy, Claire, Angie, Chantal...the list goes on and on." 

"Well, I thought you were strictly het too—Li Ann, Gloria, that stripper... the list... actually ends there, doesn't it?" Victor shot him a dirty look that went completely ignored. "Maybe we don't know each other quite as well as we think we do." 

"What are you saying, that you're bi?" 

"See? You're not nearly as dumb as you look." 

"Mac, I'm serious here. Are you really?" 

"Yes, seriously, I really am bisexual and I find you attractive...when you're not being such a doofus." 

Victor closed his eyes and battered down his natural response, which was to snap back with another insult which would make Mac retort with an insult to which he would reply...ad nauseam. 

"All right, I'm willing to overlook that for now. What are we going to do about this?" 

"What do you want to do? We could go with the idea you had the other night." 

"I'm probably going to regret this, but what _exactly_ did I say?" Victor watched Mac closely for any signs of teasing, deception, or general mindfuckery. 

"Hmmm, let me see if I can remember... It was something like 'Come on Mac, fuck me. Fuck me hard, you big stud puppy.' And as I said before, there was a lot of kissing and nuzzling and unbuttoning going on." 

"I didn't say that," stated Victor firmly. 

"Oh all right, not the stud puppy part, but everything else is true. It was very _hard_ to say no to you." 

"Yeah, I'll bet." There was a familiar comfort in sarcasm, but Victor's heart wasn't in it. He desperately wanted to believe what Mac was suggesting. 

"It was, Vic. You're a good kisser and your hands were _everywhere_. You were Octopus Man." 

Victor could feel the blush spreading up from his collarbone, but this time it was accompanied by a dizzying rush of arousal, that tightened his body and made his heart pound almost painfully in his chest. "So, you want to get out of here?" 

"Yeah, baby. Your place or mine?" 

Victor smiled and looked up at Mac through his lashes, nervous and thrilled at the same time. "Mine. I shot out the camera again." 

"You really _are_ my kind of man, Vic. Let's rock and roll." 

* * *

Following Victor across town in his own car to Victor's apartment gave Mac plenty of time to think. Not always a good thing. The drive gave his nerves time to assert themselves, making him wonder what the hell he thought he was doing. Did going to Victor's apartment automatically mean they had to have sex, or should they step back and take it slow? Mac had never been one to shy away from a potentially satisfying physical experience, but then, Li Ann notwithstanding, he wasn't in the habit of getting involved with people he worked with, either. 

Being partners in the shadowy government agent business one day and then bed partners—or maybe even lovers— the next seemed a little fast to him. He wondered why he'd feel this unnatural hesitation with Victor when he'd been ready to marry Claire after knowing her a matter of days, disregarding the fact that she was a suspect that he was supposed to be investigating at the time. When she came along, he'd been lonely, a little frustrated at his lack of a normal life, and afraid of growing old alone. None of that explained his reluctance to get involved with Victor, even though he wanted him. 

And he did. He wanted Victor very badly. He'd thought Vic was pretty hot for a long time, but the man had set a fire in him with two simple words, "Fuck. Me." Mac had found the uninhibited octopus man to be so much more accessible than the upright, uptight ex-cop he worked with on a daily basis. The everyday Victor was as attractive and sexy as the drunk and horny variety, but it was very difficult for Mac to imagine _that_ Vic letting go, letting loose, or letting his guard down. 

Although now that he really thought about it, Vic had let his guard down a few times with Mac. Those fleeting moments had kept alive the faint hope that something more might develop. Moments frozen in Mac's memory— like handing his glass to Victor and seeing him take a sip, lips lingering where Mac's had just been. Another moment during a firefight on the waterfront when Victor had pulled him out of a bullet's path and held on just a little too long, grasping just a little too tightly. The casual brush of his fingers, the nudge of a knee when they sat so close in a briefing, a look that was just a little too intense in context.... so many signs of physical awareness that Mac had to wonder why he didn't put two and two together sooner. 

"We don't know each other as well as we think. Or maybe we don't know _ourselves_ as well as we think, eh, Vic?" Mac laughed when he realized he was talking to himself. He'd never been one for too much introspection, unless something monumental had happened, like almost dying or something. He took life as it came, whether he was happy with it or unhappy with it. But now he had to think of the possibility that he didn't know himself quite as well as he maybe should. Plenty of time to think about it later, because now he was pulling up in front of Victor's building and watching him climb out of that ridiculous red pick-up truck. 

Mac got out of his car and walked over to where Vic waited, fidgeting with his keys. Dressed all in black, the older man almost blended into the shadows, until Mac caught a flash of white and realized that Vic was smiling. Knowing he couldn't possibly walk away tonight, Mac swallowed all thoughts of slowing down. He went right up to Vic and said in a low voice, "I said you're attractive, but I was wrong." 

Victor nodded which caught Mac a bit off guard, but he continued, "Actually you're pretty damn sexy fine." 

Vic shook his head, but he was still smiling when he replied, "We can't do this out here. Come on inside." 

"Hmm, another interesting choice of words," mused Mac as he turned to follow Victor inside. 

Unlocking his door, Victor tossed his keys on the little side table, hung up his jacket, and turned on the kitchen light, all in one smooth practiced move. Mac hovered in the doorway for just a second, before coming in and closing the door behind him. Victor took a step toward the refrigerator, and asked, "Would you... Can I get you a drink or something?" 

Mac felt himself relaxing at Vic's palpable nervousness. He smiled and took Victor's hand. "No, I'm fine. Why don't we sit down and talk? You know, figure out what comes next?" 

Victor laughed a little under his breath, and Mac could see his shoulders lose some of their rigidity. Waving his free hand toward the sofa, Vic said, "Yeah...um, have a seat." 

Mac reeled Victor into his arms and said, "Why don't we get this out of the way first?" Knowing that from Vic's perspective this was their first kiss, Mac put his heart and all of his long-denied desires into it. 

After a small gasp, Victor began to kiss back and Mac felt his knees get a little shaky. The man had a wicked mouth that set Mac's blood on fire. With one last nip at that sensual lower lip, Mac pulled away while he still could. Holding onto Victor's hand, he headed for the sofa, seating them side by side on the soft, comfortable cushions. 

"Mac... I don't know quite what to say to you, now that I've got you here, because I never expected..." Victor looked down and to the side, making Mac wonder what was in those gorgeous green eyes that he didn't want Mac to see. Victor fidgeted with Mac's fingers, absently, as if he might have forgotten that he was actually holding hands with his partner. 

Mac wasn't feeling too steady himself at the moment, but he clapped his hand on Victor's knee and declared with false bravado, "Victor, you said you wanted to have sex with me so... I'm here, you're here. We both want it." 

"Come on, Mac, it's not that simple. Nothing ever is." 

"Why not? Why do you have to make everything so complicated? For once in your life, just go with the flow." 

"But I... you... We work together. Our lives depend on each other practically every day. This will change everything." 

"Why? You were engaged to Li Ann while you worked together. And as much as it pains me to admit it, Li Ann is the one who usually comes to our rescue. I just don't think working together is a valid reason not to sleep together." Mac stroked his hand over Victor's thigh for a moment before asking, "Why are you having doubts now? You knew what you wanted at the bar." 

"I had time to think." 

"Oh, yeah I did too, but I came to the conclusion that I really want to have sex with you, and—" 

"I don't." Victor interrupted gently, making Mac stare back in surprise. 

"Excuse me? You completely changed your mind? You don't want me anymore?" 

"No! I... I want to make love with you." Victor's face was tinged pink again, although it couldn't compare to his earlier blush. 

"Okay... so what's the problem?" 

"I want to make love with you," replied Victor with more certainty in his voice. "I don't want to just have sex. I feel... _more_ for you than that." 

Stomach clenching at the idea, Mac rubbed nervously at his ear and asked, "How much more?" 

"I don't know yet." 

"Do you have to know before we do it?" Mac asked with his most hopeful expression. 

Victor smiled. "No, I just wanted you to understand." 

"Oh, I'll never understand you, Vic. If that's a requirement, I might as well go home now." 

"No. Let's just worry about that stuff later, okay?" Victor leaned into Mac and whispered, "Kiss me again." 

"Now that I can do." Mac smiled and closed the distance, placing his mouth lightly over Victor's, inhaling his breath and caressing the softly parted lips with his own. With a sigh, he licked his way inside Victor's mouth, over his teeth to caress his tongue, reveling in the way Victor relaxed against him, giving in and giving up. 

Mac's body wanted to rush ahead to the next stage, but his brain told his roaming hands to slow down and enjoy the moment. Regretfully, he stopped unbuttoning Vic's shirt and wrapped his arms around his partner, just kissing him and holding him for the moment. Victor returned the kisses but his hands remained still on Mac's shoulders, except for the clutching of his fingers, a tiny movement that sent an electric charge through the silk of Mac's shirt right into his bones. Suddenly concerned, Mac whispered against Victor's cheek, "How're you doing? Are you okay?" 

Victor nodded and said, "We should take this to the bedroom. If you... if you still want to..." 

"Do _you_ still want to?" 

Mac watched Victor swallow convulsively before answering, "Yes. Oh yes, I want to." 

Mac smiled and let Victor lead him to the bed, kicking off his shoes and peeling his socks off with his toes as he went. Unbuttoning his shirt, Mac watched in amusement as Victor turned the covers back with military precision, then sat to remove his boots and socks, setting them neatly aside. Mac hung his shirt on the back of the chair, then took off his pants as he watched Victor do the same. 

The tension rolling off the other man was getting to him, so he broke it by saying, "Victor, I'm shocked at you." 

"What?" Victor glanced down at his underwear-clad erection then back at Mac. "I have something you don't?" 

"No, but I thought for sure you'd wear tighty-whiteys. You know, Hanes, six to a pack, same as your mom bought you every fall since you first started school." Mac smirked lecherously at the black boxer briefs that accentuated Victor's muscular build so well. 

"Well, I can't say I'm surprised that you don't wear anything." Victor smirked back, but trembled a little as he shoved the underwear off. 

Mac immediately stepped close and wrapped his arms around his partner. It was the oddest thing, but every time Victor showed signs of being nervous or unsure, Mac felt more confident. Maybe it was another manifestation of the competition that influenced so much of their working relationship, or maybe he was just perverse that way. 

Nuzzling Vic's neck, Mac rubbed his hands down Victor's smooth back as their naked cocks brushed against each other, steel sparking on granite. Running his tongue around the rim of Vic's ear, Mac whispered, "It's okay, Vic. Just tell me what you want and I'll give it to you." 

Victor shuddered and clutched at Mac's hips, grinding his hardness against Mac's. "I want you to fuck me." 

"Ah, there's that phrase again. Are you trying to kill me Vic?" Mac pushed his soon to be lover to the bed and said, "Are you prepared for this?" 

"Top drawer." Vic nodded at the bedside table then rolled over onto his stomach. 

"Ready for anything, huh Vic?" Digging through the drawer, Mac unearthed long strips of condoms, a bottle of hand lotion, a small box of wet wipes, breath mints, cough drops, extra ammo clips, and two tubes of lubricant, unscented and cherry...and a few scattered envelopes of Pop Rocks in different flavors. "Well, well, Victor. You are just full of surprises." He took a couple of condoms, the cherry scented lube, and the wet wipes; then closed the drawer. 

Turning Victor over onto his back, Mac asked teasingly, "Mind if we have a little foreplay first? Or did you just want to get right to it and get it over with?" 

"Oh, yeah... it's been awhile since anyone wanted..." Victor bit his lip and focused on some point over Mac's shoulder. "Um foreplay...foreplay's good...what do you want me to do?" 

The submission in Victor's voice aroused Mac further, but a whisper of sadness drifted through him at the suggestion that Vic's most recent sexual partners hadn't taken much time with him. "Whatever you want, Vic. We're in this together, right? Just do whatever feels good." Mac punctuated his words with kisses scattered over Victor's face, then moved down to his throat where he licked a line over his Adam's apple before biting lightly. Victor's groan of encouragement made him bite again, harder this time. He shifted his body to lie on top of Victor's, breathing in the soft spicy musk scent of fading aftershave. Settling in to nibble and suck his way around the base of Victor's throat, Mac broke for occasional forays up the salty length of Vic's jugular to nip a tender ear lobe or the slightly rougher skin along his jaw. 

Victor's hands rubbing his back and squeezing his ass almost distracted Mac from the little rhythmic wiggle Victor's hips had started against his own. Mac sighed and kissed his partner deeply before whispering, "This is going to be over soon if you don't stop that." 

"What...that?" Victor asked breathlessly, thrusting his cock against Mac's, hands using the curves of his ass as a steering mechanism, shifting the angle to maximize pleasure potential. Mac shuddered as he tried to get himself under control. Removing Victor's hands required a surge of strength he hadn't known he possessed, but Mac did it, then slowly slid down his lover's body. He sucked each nipple, dipped his tongue into Victor's belly button, then licked down to the dripping cock, which he took between his lips. He ran his tongue around and across the head then took more of the shaft as one hand wrapped around the base. The other hand released Vic's wrist and moved down to pet the delicate skin of his scrotum, rolling his balls between long gentle fingers before moving lower to the sensitive perineum. 

By the time he touched Victor's ass, Vic's groans were getting louder, and Mac was getting harder and hotter. He had to release Vic's erection from his mouth and sit up so he could watch Vic's face as he begged. 

"Please, Mac. Fuck me now. I need it, Mac. I need you." Victor's pleading eyes were almost black with urgency and passion. 

"I will, Vic. I need this too. Just give me a minute." 

Mac wanted this to last and be good for both of them, but he didn't think he could hold out against the lure of such heat. Fingers stretching Vic experimentally, he reached for the lube and condoms. Mac withdrew his fingers, causing Victor to moan and buck his hips, then moan louder when the fingers returned slick and probing. 

"Yessss. Oh, Mac, yes." Victor's hips leapt frantically against Mac's teasing fingers. "Do it now." 

"I will, Vic, I will," muttered Mac as he rolled on the condom and slicked on some lube. He moved out of the way so Victor could turn over then moved to kneel between his legs. Mac tried to ease in slowly, but Victor thrust back, taking all of Mac's considerable length in one move and wrenching a scream of surprise from Mac. 

"Stop! Vic, just...just hold still a minute. You're so tight...ah, baby, you're killing me here. I don't want to hurt you." Mac held onto Victor's hips and tried to adjust to the almost painful, squeezing tightness. 

"Been...awhile...that's all..." Victor grunted each word through clenched teeth. "You won't hurt me. I...I...trust you." 

Mac's heart felt like it would swell out of his chest at those hard-won words. Wrapping one hand around Vic's belly, he lifted the man higher on his knees for a better angle. With a sprinkle of kisses across Victor's back, Mac plunged inside his new lover, setting up a slow easy rhythm. He brought his other hand down to Vic's cock, stroking it in synch with his own cock's movements. 

"Harder, Mac. I need it harder." Victor was almost sobbing at that point, and Mac couldn't stand the raw need he heard in that husky voice. He angled to hit Vic's prostate and then started a more punishing cadence, driving his cock into the tight passage until he thought he would die from the sheer pleasure. 

And then with a scream that brought tears to Mac's eyes, Victor came explosively over Mac's fingers and onto the bed. With ragged thrusts, Mac followed him over the edge, convulsing and groaning before collapsing onto Victor's back. 

Slowly pulling out, Mac removed the condom and lay next to Victor, trying to catch his breath before cleaning them up. Victor was lying face down in the pillows and there was a suspicious snuffling sound that made Mac uneasy. He patted Victor's back, rubbed the tips of his fingers over the back of his neck, and placed a kiss on a freckled shoulder. "You okay?" 

"Yeah." Vic lifted his face and smiled. "It was— _you_ were great." 

"Thanks. You're pretty smoky yourself. I had no idea that you could be this... demanding. You're a pushy bottom." 

"You're lucky that I'm too tired to give that the comeback it deserves," muttered Vic dropping his head back to the pillow and moving his torso over a little closer to Mac. "Yuck, I'm in a huge wet spot." 

"You made it, you sleep in it." Mac reached over Victor for the baby wipes, but got distracted by the back of his lover's neck. He licked at the tender salty skin, the short hairs tickling his tongue as he realized that now Victor wasn't just a guy he worked with and had an occasional drink with—Vic was his _lover_. He sucked in a deep panicked breath, which brought the smell of cherries, sweat, sex, musk, and Victor past his nose and straight into the memory center of his brain. He knew the unique scent was branded there forever, no matter how far and fast he might run. Suddenly knowing he'd lost all control of the situation, Mac noticed his hands shaking as his chest constricted and his mind raced with the implications of what he'd just done. Knowing he had to try to save himself, rational thought was abandoned as reflex and instinct took over. 

Climbing out of bed, he stepped into his pants, slid his bare feet into his shoes, and grabbed his shirt, and in mere seconds was out the door. He ignored Victor's confused call of his name and dashed out of the apartment and down the stairs, too impatient to wait for the elevator. His heart was pounding from more than running when he got to his car. 

"What the hell was I thinking? I fucked him and now... I... I'm in lo— Whoa! No. This is crazy." Mac drove away without a backward glance, determined to put this monumental mistake in proper perspective... somehow. 

* * *

// This is just great, Mansfield. You managed to fuck it up on the first date. Instead of waiting until the engagement to dump you, good old Mac just cut to the chase. // Victor slammed his head into the pillow and continued to silently chastise himself. He had lost control and asked for what he really wanted. He sincerely believed that he deserved everything he got. 

Lying in bed wasn't making him feel any better, so it was time to get up and find something that would. Climbing out of bed an inch at a time like a ninety-year-old man, Victor groaned and winced as several muscles protested violently against any movement at all. He almost gave in to his body's demands, but he really did not want to sleep in that wet spot. He also knew he'd feel much better after a long hot shower, so he hauled himself off to the bathroom, cursing with every step. 

When he turned off the water and reached for a towel, he did feel better; within a decade of his actual age at least. Standing in his tiny bathroom, he wiped the steam from the mirror and studied his reflection, minimally cheered by the fact that he didn't look nearly as pathetic as he felt. Although Mac and his big mouth had left a colorful set of reminders at the base of his neck, Victor didn't look outwardly changed by the experience of having a dream come true and then turn to ashes in his hand. 

While he couldn't possibly approve of the method, Victor thought that Mac probably had the right idea to run. Tonight had obviously been a mistake, a big, embarrassing mistake. Victor had been too needy, too demanding or somehow just not good enough to keep Mac. // What was I thinking? I have to work with that man and I just showed him how much I lo— need, no, _want_ him. Want him, want him, want him. Boy, that was close. I want him, but I certainly don't need him. And you better forget that other word, Victor Mansfield, just get it out of your head right now. It's not an option. // 

Victor wandered out of the bathroom, slipped on some boxers, and headed for the kitchen. He got a beer from the refrigerator and went to sit on the couch. He thought that maybe he could just fall asleep out here and avoid the whole bedroom for the rest of the night. The problem was, it wasn't really all that late. Digging the remote out from between the couch cushions, he turned on the TV and flipped through the channels. Music videos, sports, news, a prison show, a wildlife documentary, a black and white gangster movie, all flashed by in seconds but not one program grabbed his attention. Tossing the remote on the table, he stood up and walked the perimeter of the room, stopping by the window. He stood there for a moment and watched the street, but his mind was on his... whatever Mac was now. Not quite a lover, after one time. Not quite a friend, although that wouldn't have stopped Vic from making love with him. 

And that's what bothered Victor the most—he had been making love with Mac and Mac _knew_ that. // So how could he have walked out like that? He didn't even say good bye, just _ran_. The bloody coward. // Victor straightened his spine and decided not to let Mac get away with this cowardice. He went to the bedroom and dressed quickly in faded jeans and a white shirt. As he sat in the easy chair in his bedroom to put on his socks and boots, he noticed Mac had left his socks behind in his hurry to escape Victor's clutches. 

When he was ready to go, he picked up the socks, rolled them up neatly, and stuck them in his jacket pocket, along with a few other items he was taking _just in case_. He walked out of his apartment without the vaguest notion of what he was going to say to Mac. // Here's your socks, what's your hurry? Hmm, don't think so... I'll think of something on the drive over. // 

Knocking a little harder than necessary, Victor waited impatiently for Mac's door to open. When it did, he pushed Mac back a step and started talking, afraid that if he waited he'd lose his nerve. His disappointment and uncertainty spilled out in a torrent of words. 

"Look Mac, I don't know what your problem is, but you can't just get out of my bed and run like a coward and expect me to let you get away with it. Just because we had sex doesn't mean our relationship has to change that dramatically. I mean, we could go back to the way things were, I guess, but you can't just pretend that it never happened." Victor stopped for a breath and noticed a couple of things at once. Mac had apparently taken a shower because his hair was damp and he was wearing different clothes. He also noticed the pained expression on Mac's face. Some small sound made Victor turn toward the kitchen, and notice Li Ann. She held a cup of tea that she seemed to have forgotten as she stared wide-eyed at Victor. 

"Oh, no..." Victor groaned as he felt his face heating up in yet another blush. His gaze flickered between his two partners as embarrassment took the place of righteous indignation. "Mac, I'm sorry. I had no idea... Hi, Li Ann." He gave a weak attempt at a smile. 

"Hi, Victor. Busy night, huh?" She smiled brightly and set the teacup down on the counter. "Well, I guess I'm not needed here anymore. We'll talk about this later, though. Right?" Victor just stared at her blankly, and Mac, still by the door, remained silent. In a steely voice that made Victor think she'd been hanging around with the Director too much, she repeated, "Right?" 

Mac's quickly spoken "Sure." was almost drowned out by Victor's "Of course." 

Li Ann nodded in satisfaction and went home, leaving two very uncomfortable men staring at each other in silence. After a moment, they both started to speak at the same time. 

"Vic, I—" 

"I'm really—" 

Then both said, "You first." 

"No, you go," spoken in stereo, with sheepish smiles. 

Victor held up his hand in an effort to forestall another chorus, and said, "I really am sorry, Mac. I had no idea Li Ann was here. I guess I would have noticed, if I hadn't been so set on speaking my piece." He shrugged and rubbed his hand over the back of his head, where he could feel the beginnings of a headache. 

"She'll get over it." Mac walked closer, but not close enough to touch, a fact that didn't escape Victor's notice. "I'm sorry about leaving so abruptly. I— there's no other word for it— panicked." 

"What... what did I do wrong?" Victor hoped the other man couldn't hear the thread of anguish in his voice. "Was it that it happened too quickly or that it happened at all?" 

"Neither, really. Hey, do you want a drink?" Mac headed for the kitchen, making a wide circle around Victor. 

"Could I have some aspirin instead?" Victor took a seat on the sofa, closed his eyes, and rubbed his temple. The night had been quite an emotional roller coaster, but no matter how much he desperately wanted to get off it, he couldn't leave things with Mac as they were. 

He opened his eyes with a start as a glass was placed in one hand, and two pain relievers were placed in the other. He swallowed the pills and half the water, then sighed in relief as Mac began to tenderly massage his temples. Some of the tension drained out of him, and he said softly, "Thanks." 

"You're welcome." Mac's fingers never stopped their circular motion, but his voice hesitated as he asked, "How're you doing... otherwise?" 

"I'm a little sore, but mostly fine, physically. I'm still confused about what went wrong. I thought we were on the same page and then suddenly we weren't even in the same building." 

"I told you, I panicked. I mean, we _work_ together, Vic." 

"Nuh uh, I tried that one and you didn't buy it. I asked for too much, didn't I? I usually do, you know. Or I don't... I can't give what the other person wants. Or I don't even _know_ what the other person wants." He snorted and pulled away from the distracting hands on his head, and muttered, "My life may suck, but at least the headache's better." 

Mac patted him on the shoulder, then came around to sit beside him on the sofa. He handed Vic a cold green bottle of Tsingtao, which he took gratefully, with a murmured, "Thanks." 

After a moment of sipping at his beer, Mac spoke. "Victor, I was into everything we did together, although I wish there'd been more... This is really hard to say, so if you make a joke I'm going to hit you. I ran because of my feelings, not yours. You didn't ask for too much, but I was feeling too much." 

"What?" Victor tilted his head and stared at Mac out of the corner of his eye, as if everything would suddenly become clearer that way. 

"It was supposed to be fun." At Victor's dark look, he qualified, "And it was. It was fantastic. But we had agreed to put the issue of feelings aside, and all of a sudden I couldn't... I was feeling too much and I didn't want to and I panicked and I ran, okay? I was completely self-absorbed and—" 

"So what else is new?" 

"I said, no jokes." 

"Who's joking?" But Victor grinned when he said it. "All right, it was a natural response. It was so easy." 

"Yeah, and look who's talking about _easy_." Mac's eyes were twinkling with an almost familiar light. 

Victor grabbed his chest, and groaned, "Ooh, you got me. Pointed, yet accurate." He grinned, feeling as if the worst of the storm had past. "Where do we go from here? Back to being just colleagues and almost friends, or do we have a big discussion about feelings?" 

Setting his bottle on the coffee table, Mac slid closer and murmured, "How about... neither?" 

Victor didn't shake off the hand that snaked around his shoulder, but he felt compelled to say, "That's what got us to this point, you know." 

"But this time, we'll be honest enough to agree that more-than-sex might possibly be involved at some point in the near or distant future. That way there's no messy declarations one way or the other, and we can skip right to the good stuff." 

"You walked out on me. Why should I trust you now?" 

"Because we're in my apartment so I have nowhere to go?" Mac beamed his most charming grin, and Victor felt his last defenses crumbling to dust. 

Although he seemed to be getting what he really wanted, Victor protested one last time, "It can't be this easy." 

"Didn't say it would be. We have the whole weekend to decide how to handle the Agency, the Director, Li Ann, and our feelings so there's no need to rush. There are so many more interesting things to do than talk." 

"No way will Li Ann wait until Monday. But the rest of that's true." Victor turned his head and met Mac's mouth with his own. Kissing Mac deeply, Victor could feel their earlier connection returning stronger than ever. It was a glorious feeling, and he squeezed his eyes shut tighter to keep a tear from leaking out, knowing that Mac would tease him unmercifully. Feeling a bit overwhelmed, he pulled away and cleared his throat. "So uh...speaking of Li Ann, why was she here?" 

Mac switched his attention to Victor's neck, nuzzling his collar out of the way. "I stopped for a drink and ran into her. She could tell something was wrong so she followed me home and managed to pry out the fact that I was having... lover... trouble, but I had cagily avoided telling her who it was with... until you came in and announced it straight out. Well, I guess 'straight' isn't actually the word, is it?" Mac punctuated his answer with kisses, so Victor was reassured that he wasn't really angry that Vic had outed them to Li Ann. 

Victor tilted his head back to allow Mac easier access, and settled into the sofa pillows with a sigh. "So are you really okay with this?" He waved a hand at the two of them cuddling on the sofa. "Whatever _this_ is?" 

Mac raised his eyes to meet Victor's and the sincerity was readily apparent to Victor, even though he'd not had many occasions to see it before. "Honestly? I'm not sure, but I'm willing to work on it. I guess some days will be easier than others, right?" 

"I can live with that... but next time, give me some warning that you're going to bolt. I'll need time to get out my handcuffs." 

"Bondage games, Vic? I like this side of you. Along with totally straight, I figured you were hopelessly vanilla too. The Pop Rocks clued me in to the truth." Mac nipped an ear and growled, "You're a wild man." 

"Oh, yeah, that's why, nearly everywhere I go, I get made for a cop quicker than Dirty Harry." 

"Well, you are a cop... sort of. And something about you screams 'Authority Figure'—maybe that's why I didn't like you at first." 

"You didn't like me because I was engaged to Li Ann." Victor reminded him with no bitterness. He didn't regret losing Li Ann anymore, because they weren't meant to be together. He didn't know if he was meant to be with Mac for the long haul either, but something here felt very right. They had plenty of time to figure it all out, if he could keep Mac from panicking again. Maybe that nice Dr. Curtis would prescribe him an anti-anxiety drug or something. 

"Forget about Li Ann, Vic. She's not here. I am," Mac murmured with a kiss. His hands moved down Victor's chest, flicking open buttons and caressing the rapidly heating skin under the cotton. Victor shivered as clever fingers worried his nipples, first through the fabric of his shirt, then directly when the open flaps of the shirt were shoved back into the sides of his jacket. 

"Um, Mac, I brought you something," Victor said a bit breathlessly, as he suddenly remembered. He removed his hand reluctantly from the back of Mac's neck and dug into his pocket. 

"A present? Victor, you shouldn't have." 

Victor pulled out the socks that Mac had left at his apartment and tossed them on the coffee table. 

"Socks? You _really_ shouldn't have." Mac dipped his head to Victor's newly bared chest, licking a circle around the outside of each nipple, never touching the yearning nubs in the center. 

"You left in such a hurry," gasped Victor, arching into the maddening touch. 

"Temporary insanity, I'm sure," whispered Mac, running his tongue down the smooth skin of Victor's breastbone. 

Victor had half a mind to just lie back and let Mac do whatever he wanted, but he had an idea that he was certain the younger man would go for in a big way. Threading his fingers through the short brown hair, he tugged Mac's head up to his and kissed him deeply while one hand went back into his pocket. Withdrawing a small paper envelope, he rattled the contents next to Mac's ear. 

With one last thrust of his tongue across Victor's lips, Mac drew back and opened his eyes. Victor grinned at him and shook the candy again. "I also brought these for you." 

Mac focused on the small black packet and laughed, "Ah, Vic. How'd you know that orange is my favorite flavor?" 

"Didn't think you were ready for grape." Victor grinned back, running a hand over Mac's shoulders. 

"Why?" Mac watched him suspiciously, which made Victor grin even bigger. 

"They have a... side effect." 

"What 'side effect'?" 

"They turn your dick a lovely shade of neon purple." 

"Oh, I want to try that one on you, then." Mac stood and offered a hand to Victor. 

Victor stood up with a small bit of difficulty, since he was still sore from earlier and now was also hard as a rock. "Maybe some time, but tonight, it's your turn. You're not overly sensitive, are you? You can handle a little teeth scraping and nipping when you get head?" 

"Yeah, I kinda like it just a little rough." Victor noticed that while Mac answered readily enough, he was still watching Vic with a slightly suspicious gleam in his eyes. "Just a little." 

"Mac, you have to know that I'm not going to hurt you." Victor reassured his new lover with a soft kiss. "I couldn't do that." 

Mac nodded and continued into the bedroom, where Victor removed his jacket and unbuttoned shirt, then started on Mac's. Mac reached over to stroke the leather of the jacket lying on the end of his bed and said, "Someday I'd like to make love to you while you wear this." 

"You're into leather? We should go back to the Caligula." Victor couldn't help but laugh at the expression on Mac's face. He was, no doubt, remembering the time the Director had taken them to the sex club while on assignment. She had also given Mac a tactile inspection of her handmade leather bustier. 

"No, thanks. That place was—" Mac broke off with shudder. 

"I agree." Talking and laughing had calmed Victor's arousal enough that he could do what he wanted to do to Mac without suffering too much, so he dropped to his knees in front of Mac. 

Unfastening Mac's pants and pulling them down to his ankles, Victor took Mac's half erect cock in his mouth, making it hard and ready. With some licking and teasing, Victor urged Mac to sit on the edge of the bed, then took that desperate cock deep into his mouth. After setting up a steady rhythm, Victor pulled away, ignoring Mac's protests and fingers clutching at his hair. He stroked Mac's cock with one hand while he ripped the candy package open with his teeth and poured a pile of pop rocks on his tongue. Then he took Mac's cock back into his mouth just as the popping began, taking a distant pleasure in his lover's cry of surprise. Mac's hard cock in his mouth was a dream come true, but the popping bits of candy added to the sensory explosion, and Victor thought he might come without even touching his own rampant erection. In a few seconds the popping slowed to a fizz, and Mac came with a shout, the salty bitterness of his come mixing pleasantly with the sweet orange flavor on Victor's tongue. He swallowed quickly, then licked Mac clean as the younger man collapsed onto the bed. 

Biting his lip to keep in his moan of frustration, Victor dropped his head against Mac's knee and his hand on his aching cock, but before he could take care of himself, strong hands grasped his shoulders and pulled him up onto the bed and into his lover's arms. Mac licked at Victor's mouth tentatively, as if unsure if he would like the combination of flavors he'd find there, then apparently decided he did like the taste, because he plunged his tongue between Victor's lips as his hand slid down to Victor's erection. As Mac used the steady dribble of precome to lubricate his movements, Victor thrust his cock into the strokes and came with a loud cry just a few seconds later. The powerful clenching of his muscles as his orgasm thundered through him left Victor lying shaky and exhausted against Mac's furry chest. 

For the next half-hour, the two men lay tangled together, petting and kissing, but not really talking until Victor raised his head to look into those dark brown eyes when he asked, "So... no urge to bolt this time?" 

Mac grinned tiredly and said, "I couldn't if I wanted to, which I _don't_. Relax, Vic. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere." 

Victor nodded seriously. "I had doubts of my own you know. But I chose not to give in to them. I think we'll be all right." 

"Yeah. Sometimes, I really admire your strength and determination, and sometimes those same traits are incredibly... frustrating. But then every time I think I have you pegged, you surprise me." Yawning widely, Mac closed his eyes. "You want to get cleaned up first or just go to sleep?" 

"Clean up first." Victor could already feel the drying semen sticking their torsos together in a few spots. 

"You know where the bathroom is, so help yourself," muttered Mac sleepily, but when Victor pulled away taking several of the hairs off his belly, his eyes shot open as he exclaimed, "Ow! Watch it." He rubbed his stomach, and glared up at Vic who winced sympathetically, although his first reaction would have normally been an unrepentant grin. "Well, I guess I'm awake now, might as well join you in the shower." 

Before Mac could get off the bed, Victor tackled him and pressed gentle wet kisses all over his abused tummy. Ignoring the unpleasant taste of his own come mixed with Mac's sweat, Vic concentrated on making his lover laugh. And once he discovered how ticklish Mac's ribs were, it was not difficult to reduce the usually suave sophisticated man to a quivering heap of hysterical laughter. Finally having mercy, Victor drew back and watched Mac for a minute, as he stopped laughing and wiped the tears off his face. 

"You are going to pay for that, Mansfield." The dire threat came out a little breathless. "Oh, yeah, when you least expect it, I'm going to get you good." 

"Don't make me use this secret weapon again," laughed Victor, stretching his fingers out in front of him and waggling them. 

"Oh, yeah? I'll bet it goes both ways," murmured Mac silkily before launching himself at Victor and rolling him over and over, finally pinning him against the pillows and holding his hands over his head. Victor bucked half-heartedly not sure yet if he really wanted to get free. "Now, I'm going to find _your_ ticklish spots." 

Victor grinned and said confidently, "I don't have any." 

"Everybody has at least one," retorted Mac, holding Vic's wrists in one hand and running the tips of his fingers across Victor's exposed underarm and down his side. 

"Not me." Victor lay quietly and enjoyed the feel of Mac's fingers running all over his body. When the talented digits reached his groin, he smiled and teasingly cooed, "Oooh that's nice. Not ticklish, but nice." 

Mac heaved a sigh and turned Victor's wrists loose. He scooted lower on the bed, tickling down Victor's legs to his toes and the bottoms of his feet with the same lack of result. Victor could see the frustration on his face, so he suggested, "Come on, Mac, give up so we can have that shower." 

"No, everybody has a ticklish spot, and I'm gonna find yours. Roll over on your stomach." 

Victor did as he was told, pillowing his head on his folded arms and relaxing into Mac's touch once again. Fingertips skittered over his nape, then across his shoulders and down his spine, which made him shiver but not laugh. The touches on his ass made him shift against the sheets in pleasure, but laughing was the last thing on his mind. Just as he was wondering if his thirty-something body had another orgasm in it, Mac's fingers hit the back of his knees. Okay, so maybe he did have a ticklish spot after all, and Mac had just found it. Victor's instinctive jerk must have tipped Mac off to his possible victory, because the younger man attacked the vulnerable flesh with what Vic was sure was sadistic glee. 

Biting his lip and trying desperately not to struggle, Victor held his laughter in as long as he could but finally a snicker escaped then a chuckle which escalated to a guffaw and then he was howling and begging Mac to stop. 

Wiping his streaming eyes, Victor turned over and watched Mac sit back with a satisfied grin. "Told ya." 

"Okay, okay, we're even." Victor sat up and wrapped a hand around the back of Mac's neck, whispering "Come here." As Mac leaned closer, Victor met his lover's lips with his own, making the kiss deep and intense. He explored Mac's mouth with single-minded determination, pouring all his feelings—from affection and lust to fear and insecurity—into this one long sweet kiss. Out of breath, he finally drew back and searched Mac's eyes. What he saw there reassured him as no words could ever do, so he pressed another kiss to Mac's mouth and said, "We'll be all right. Let's go take that shower now." 

* * *

"Good morning, children." The Director slapped a file on the conference table in front of her three most troublesome agents. "I trust everyone had a _nice_ weekend and is ready to get back to work?" 

Receiving three affirmative nods, she continued around the table toward her chair at the head of the table. She glanced down Victor's shirt collar as she passed behind him and stopped. Draping herself over his broad shoulder, she flicked his collar back with long red fingernails and murmured, "Mmm, _someone_ had a very interesting weekend. Anything you'd like to share, Victor?" 

The agent in question squirmed in his seat and shot beseeching glances at his two partners. Li Ann looked at the table, but she was definitely fighting off laughter. Mac, on the other hand, beamed at him, proudly and happily. Perhaps reassured by his lover's reaction, Victor turned to the Director and said, "Umm... I made love, not war?" 

"Yes, dear, you certainly did." The Director slid her fingertips down Victor's body and tapped his knee. "Everyone has a ticklish spot, don't they?" 

Ignoring the choking sound, she continued on to her seat and said, "You all have no secrets from me. Accept it before it destroys you." 

Surveying her red-faced agents, she smiled slightly and said, "Play time's over, kiddies. It's time to get to work. Funny you should mention war Vic, because your next assignment..." 

Comments welcome at [email removed] 

* * *

Fandom: Once a Thief   
Rating: NC-17   
Date: June 14, 1999   
Spoilers: Why bother at this point?   
Disclaimer: All things OaT belong to John Woo or Alliance or somebody. I borrow the characters for a cheap thrill, but no profit. I figure the camp song is public domain, but if not, I'm really sorry. On second thought, I'm really sorry anyway.   
Summary: First time story that started out as a response to Krysa's Drunk Challenge and took a left turn. ;-)   
Notes: I have a lot of people to thank on this one: As always, my lovely betas Nicole and Mouse, who did an outstanding job (so don't blame them for any mistakes I may have missed ;). Deb, nancy, and the goddess-who-shall-remain-nameless were also invaluable partners-in-crime.   
Ori, consider this bribery for HC 4, okay?   
---


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